Generous church gives Carmen the gift of life

Carmen Cordeiro, an 18 year old from South Africa, is currently recovering in St James' Hospital, Leeds from a life-saving liver transplant operation.

The story of how she got there, and the fact she now has a future to look forward to, is an extraordinary one.

In November 2003, Pastor of the New Life Community Church in Rawdon, Rob Fry answered the telephone and spoke to Mario Cordeiro, a South African pastor.

Mr Fry said: "Mario's reason for calling was to inform me that he and his family were having to travel to the UK in order that his very sick daughter could have surgery in Leeds."

In fact, Carmen wasn't just sick, she was dying. The family needed somewhere to stay.

Mr Fry said: "At the time I was unsure if we, a small church, would be able to offer this level of support for what could be some considerable time."

But after only one phone call, a member of the New Life congregation, Sophie Shaw offered to house the Cordeiro family at her home in Peasehill Park.

Mrs Shaw said: "I said to Rob 'why didn't you ask?' Since my husband died it gets very lonely and I have plenty of room. The family arrived in November and I watched Carmen get worse and worse.

"I thought 'Oh God, she has come all this way and is going to die.'"

There was also a financial problem. For Carmen to have the transplant the family needed £70,000, but had only raised £25,000 - leaving them with a £45,000 shortfall.

Mario Cordeiro always maintained that his 'father', that is God, would pay.

Incredibly, over the next few days, money did start to arrive - from South Africa and from a British church.

But it took another gift from Rawdon to raise the full amount.

Mr Fry said: "As a church a good many years ago we used to own a building. This was sold off and we now meet in a community centre. Over the years the money had remained dormant in the bank.

"In September last year we decided it was right to use this money for God's purposes to help Carmen.

"The Bible says we are not to store up treasures. Yes, one day we may have a building of our own - but which is more important, bricks and mortar or life?"

Mr Fry has first-hand experience of the fear of losing a child, as his nine year old son, Nathan, became seriously ill last October.

Suffering from an acute auto-immune system disease, he was critical in hospital for three weeks.

Mr Fry said: "We thought we were going to lose him. He was in a paralysed state."

But Nathan made a full recovery and his father is certain the experience played a part in Carmen's story.

He said: "I am still totally aware that there are so many other children in that situation now. We had the opportunity to help one child, we had the resources, and we made the choice to do so."

Carmen joined the waiting list for transplant surgery in December. But her condition began to deteriorate and two weeks ago she had six and a half litres of fluid removed from her body due to liver failure.

Mr Fry said: "She should have died. When the surgeons looked at her liver they found no living cells - she shouldn't have been able to survive that."

Remarkably she did - and Carmen is now recuperating from her long-awaited operation, which she had on January 9.

Mr Fry said: "She's not out of the woods yet but she's doing very well."

Mr Fry also describes the sequence of events that began ten years ago, when Carmen fell ill, as 'miraculous'.

He said: "At this point it's hard to know who has helped who. Carmen and her family have helped and encouraged so many people. Human nature can be very insular, but to meet the Cordeiro family is uplifting..

"From the beginning they have changed people. The kids who teased Carmen at school for being different realised their mate was yellow for a reason - she was dying. They went on to raise £10,000 for her."